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NY lawmaker targets 'knockout' game

A New York state legislator says it's time to crack down on the violent "knockout game" in which youths "sucker punch" innocent bystanders for kicks.

Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco of Schenectady tells The Associated Press Thursday that his bill would make the violent game a gang assault with a sentence of up to 25 years. Youths would be charged as adults.

Tedisco says his measure is intended to be a deterrent to stop the game and avoid more serious injuries by what he calls "twisted and cowardly thugs."

Participants try to punch a stranger so hard they are rendered unconscious, often while other youths record the attack for online sites.

Tedisco's bill will also include prison time for those convicted of attending to watch or record the assaults.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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